Academic Travel on location in Cyprus!

Hello there! I just got back from Fall Academic Travel to Cyprus, and it was absolutely magical. This was my second-to-last Academic Travel and therefore, very bittersweet. I couldn't help but reflect on my very first Academic Travel while I was there, when I went to London to study the Bloomsbury writers (Virgina Woolf, E.M. Forster, etc.). It was during that trip to London in October of 2012 with Professor Peat when I really began to understand what Franklin was about. I made friends on my freshman travel to London who I still count among my closest friends at Franklin four years later. It seemed very full circle to appreciate and remember how it felt to go on my very first fall travel, and now my very last fall travel.

On this trip, we explored the island of Cyprus, and it was interesting to learn about both the Greek and Turkish influences in the country. We focused on the history, culture, politics, and art of the island, and gained an insight on the multifaceted identity of the Cypriot population.

There were 15 Franklin students on the travel, representing the United States, Jordan, Switzerland, Poland, Azerbaijan, Mexico, Russia, Kuwait, and Croatia! We were definitely an eclectic group, this made it all the more fun. Over the course of the two weeks, we visited mosques, churches, museums, beaches, monuments, and several cities, including Limassol, Larnaka, Nicosia, and Famagusta. It was my first time in Cyprus and I loved how friendly the people were, how clean the beaches were, and the diversity of backgrounds of the Cypriot people I met.

I especially loved the days when we visited the Turkish-occupied area of Cyprus, mostly because of my love for all things Turkish. It was a little surprising to pass through a "checkpoint" in order to enter the Turkish side, and I had one of the best meals of my life in Kyrenia, a port city. I didn't know many of the students on the travel prior to the trip, but definitely made some great new friends on our long bus rides around the island!

Last night a bunch of friends and I got together, and we were catching up and sharing our stories from Academic Travel. One friend noted how through our own stories, it's almost as if Franklin students get to "second-hand travel". I loved the concept, and it's true, I learned so many new things about Malawi, Thailand, Turkey and Iceland just through listening to narratives from my friends last night! While we don't have the chance to explore every Academic Travel offered by Franklin, we still get to have a glimpse of the culture and experience through our collective narratives post-travel. Academic Travel truly does serve as an excellent reminder as to why we are proud to study at Franklin University Switzerland.

In addition, something else that is unique to Academic Travel is how well our experiences translate into the classroom. Even in my finance classes I can use what I have learned in countries like Cyprus and Morocco to have a better context in which to study global markets. There are always lessons learned on travel that enhance our classroom experience, it's true, some of the most educational and worthwhile experiences happen outside of the classroom, with boots on the ground.

I hope you enjoy the following photos, of course, they don't do Cyprus justice, but at least you get a glimpse!

If you are curious about other academic travels besides Cyprus, you can check out Franklin's instagram and check out the hashtag #ATFUS for all of Franklin student's travel photos.